Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Chapter 1349: Cause and Wait



Even though Alaris managed to push away the great blocks of debris which had fallen on him, the pressure of Undeath continued to press down on his body like a mountain. He tried to use his Perfect Aura to shield himself against the effect, but it was no use. With or without the Aura, he still felt as though the air was being sucked from his lungs. Or perhaps it was more like he felt as though life energy was drained from his body forcefully.

He struggled to even speak. One of his lips was hanging by a thread of skin below his mouth, blood red.

The rest of his injuries looked even more brutal. However, the fact that he had even survived the encounter with Mercella's corpse - which had become some kind of Divine relic abused by the nine was a miracle.

Alaris wasn't satisfied with this miracle though.

He couldn't help but regret his choices.

Alaris, famed far and wide - even by the Purity - and even given the moniker Bloodless Steel Phantom, had been a legend. His rise from the Guilds Association had captivated many and many more had thought he would transcend mortal limits one day.

Perhaps Alaris could. He himself didn't know. But at some point, he had stifled his own potential, fearing what he might become when he tasted the depths of his true power. He had gone from a fierce warrior to a modest instructor within the Guilds Association. His greatest accomplishment now was related to someone else.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

He had trained someone else who eventually breached the boundary to Divinity - Skullius - though he didn't know it.

Perhaps...

'Perhaps if I'd just persisted in drawing out my potential, regardless of my fears...' Alaris heard a small voice in his head squeak.

Perhaps he might have been able to do something about the Premium Age Royale and saved Theurien's children.

Yes. He might have.

Onarmont's words from back then also began to stab at him.

'I hope you make the right choice. I'm glad that you're not power hungry but sometimes, it's a detriment. Reaching your full potential is not a bad thing.'

(A/N: Refer to Ch.607.)

And indeed it wasn't.

Alaris rose from the debris. He managed to push back his shoulder into its socket and only then did he dig up Revia where she had been buried.

The former Paladin Champion was weak and could hardly stand on her own. He supported her to a stand.

The sudden shockwave from moments ago had stopped Mercella from killing them both, but it also collapsed the remnants of the Purity headquarters on top of them; a fair trade, really.

Alaris looked over Revia who coughed up blood and tried standing on her own.

He wondered.

Did he perhaps convince himself to go on this expedition in order to find some validation? Perhaps to value his strength in what he thought was most meaningful at the time?

He didn't know.

But whatever the case...

He looked up at the world dyed in deep red.

He had failed at even that.

In the distance, Alaris saw the nine, moulded into a pillar of the flesh of men screaming and pointing in the direction of the blasphemous enemy.

***

"Um, boss. For some reason, my guidance field is acting strange. There's a bold message on it. It's for you. It says to tell you to pick one of the Limited Contracts you've been offered

without fail, and preferably sooner rather than later."

Skullius was baffled.

The contents of this message immediately informed him that once again, the Voice of Worlds was alerting him of a certain danger in not picking one of the Limited Contracts he had been offered. For this danger to be emphasised twice now, it seemed to have been a particularly lethal one.

But first...

'Why didn't VOW just tell me this directly? She just warned me about Void seconds ago,' Skullius thought. A look at Kenno told him that the Unlimited Star was beyond confused.

Every time VOW informed Skullius on something, a piece of <Counsel> - an upgradable feature of the guidance field that allowed the user (primarily) to learn information from VOW - was consumed.

After reaching Divinity, Skullius' guidance field had risen in Patronage Rank twice and thus, he had four pieces of <Counsel>. One had been used to warn him about the Primeval Deity TITEMIUS, and to urge him to pick a contract from those he'd been offered. The second had been used up when VOW tried to warn him about Void's attack.

But still, two pieces remained. Skullius imagined that VOW was unwilling to waste all his pieces of <Counsel> in case he actually had questions he wanted to ask, which was quite considerate. Thus, she used Kenno's instead. He was unlikely to be needing them at the moment.

But this was a feeble concern.

What annoyed Skullius terribly was that he was offered nine contracts by Primeval Deities for his newly awakened Exotic Parlous Nature, which he hadn't even gotten a look at.

There had been many things going on, not to mention the accompanying notifications that flooded his view. He had missed many.

'I don't have time to look over every single contract and I can't just pick one for the sake of it.

I'm going to have to delay my decision and deal with THIS first,' he thought.

The THIS was of course the large Doom Knight standing impressively ahead, quietly appraising everything.

A short while had passed since it had arrived with Araeyn and Kenno. Even while on guard, Skullius knew it probably wouldn't take an instant for it to hit him with an attack that completely overwhelmed his physical body and forced him to exist as a soul. And he had no doubts that a Doom Knight had means to seize or break a soul.

A quick look at its guidance field confirmed as much.

[Unable to appraise enemies of a higher calibre than the user]

This was essentially a dead confirmation that this Doom Knight was a lethal opponent.

What was likely deterring the creature from decimating everyone - as Skullius imagined - was probably the fact that it identified him, Aurolio, Elita and Uyuniya as fellow anomalies, and was also considering the possible counters from Suzamete - whom it had likely already sensed and of course, Boron who was in Pelian.

'And that's all the reason for me to acquaint myself with my new Exotic Parlous Nature!'

Skullius thought.

This was how AKHASHA had intended after all. Facing off against a stronger enemy didn't necessarily mean that all was lost. Not when things like Treasures and Exotic Parlous Natures existed to grant all equal chances for growth, and reward the bold with glory.

But of course, the enemy Skullius was facing didn't remain still for long.

It began its act by exercising its privilege as a deific expert.

[Author's Note]

In order to appease my privilege legends for my absence and lack of updates, I shall do a mass

release before the month is over. #Trust!